WASHINGTON — U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he does not have to win the New Hampshire primary vote on Tuesday to secure the nomination, apparently tamping down expectations despite holding a double-digit lead in that state's polls.

The billionaire businessman came second to Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucuses last week although polls put him ahead. His candidacy has alarmed the Republican establishment and has been marked by rows including over his calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.

No Republican has won the presidential nomination without winning either the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary since the 1970s, but it would not technically be impossible.